The Dish

Have you ever wondered why salads are reserved for lunch and dinner only? Me, too. That’s exactly what was on my mind last week, as I set out to make breakfast.

It all started with a craving for poached eggs. Toasting up some bread was the obvious, and easy choice, but I didn’t want to feel weighed down from carbs so early in the morning. My mind wandered to the bag of baby lettuce I’d picked up at the farmers’ market earlier in the week. Bingo. A breakfast salad was the perfect answer.

I’m sharing the recipe as I made it that morning. No hard or fast rules and measurements. This is the way I often cook at home—a handful of this, a pinch of that. If it helps to guide you, I have small hands! Choose whatever greens you have in the fridge, or garden. Mine was a mesclun mix, but baby spinach or even chopped up romaine hearts would work well.

I love pecans, and brought back a sack from a recent trip to North Carolina, so that’s what I used to add some texture (and added protein) to my breakfast salad. Go with what you like, and again, have on hand. Walnuts would be a close runner up for me, personally.

How you cook the egg is up to you. I poached mine to keep it on the leaner side (no oil necessary), but a crispy, fried sunny side up egg would be equally delicious.